This is the New Yorker Fiction Podcast from the New Yorker magazine.

I'm Debra Treesman, Fiction Editor at the New Yorker.

Each month, we invite a writer to choose a story from the magazine's archives to read and discuss.

This month, we're going to hear bullfighting by Roddy Doyle.

Other people didn't really get it, especially women.

Grown men getting together like that as if it was weird or unnatural, or a bit silly.

The story was chosen by Dave Eggers, author of Three Novels,

and the memoir, Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,

who is the founding editor of McSweeney's, a publishing house and literary magazine.

His new novel, A hologram for the King, comes out this month.

Hi, Dave.

Hi.

So you and Roddy Doyle have become friends, I think.

How did you first meet and start reading his work?

Was it through McSweeney's or before that?

I have no idea.

I never can remember anything.

But we've known each other for about 10 years now,

and he's done a number of benefits for 826 Valenciar Tutoring Center

and he opened a similar center in Dublin called Fighting Words.

So we've been friends and allies for a long time now.

And how about his work?

...